Phonotrauma is the most common cause of voice disorders in treatment-seeking population. It is also the most prevalent cause of communication disorders in the general population. The present research aims to explore for an alternative treatment modality in treating phonotraumatic injury, the most common-causes of dysphonia in treatment-seeking populations and a condition that full recovery is hardly achieved using conventional interventions (e.g. voice therapy and surgery). The long term goal of the series is to investigate the application of traditional Chinese acupuncture as a treatment alternative to benign phonotraumatic vocal pathologies. They will be approached by addressing the Specific Aims of 1) to investigate the efficacy of a standardized acupuncture protocol for phonotraumatic vocal pathologies using a prospective, randomized controlled clinical study; and 2) to investigate the mechanisms by which acupuncture may affect phonotraumatic vocal fold microarchitecture. [unreadable] A prospective, randomized, placebo-control double-blinded group study will be conducted to address Specific Aim 1. Subjects (N=60) participating in the study will be randomly assigned to receive genuine, placebo acupuncture or no-treatment. Outcome measures are selected using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO, 2001). Immediate and long-term changes (i.e. 3 months post- treatment) in the laryngeal impairment, activity limitation and participation restriction of each group will be assessed to compare for within- and between-group differences. [unreadable] Another prospective, randomized, placebo-control group study will be conducted to address Specific Aim 2 at a preliminary level. Twenty subjects will be randomly assigned to receive genuine or placebo acupuncture. The wound healing effect of acupuncture on phonotrauma, indicated by the changes in level of biochemical markers, will be compared for within- and between-group differences. [unreadable] The clinical relevance of the present studies concerns about the potential application of a novel treatment modality to voice disorder - a disorder which has a prevalence of 28.8% in the general population of the U.S. If the present protocol is found to be effective, it will provide a treatment alternative that is more efficient, in terms of time, than voice therapy but less invasive than phonosurgery for phonotrauma. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]